Design and analysis tool validation
The Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) is developing a procedure for the validation of Building Energy Analysis Simulation Codes (BEAS). These codes are being used increasingly in the building design process, both directly and as the basis for simplified design tools and guidelines. The importance of the validity of the BEAS in predicting building energy performance is obvious when one considers the money and energy that could be wasted by energy-inefficient designs. However, to date, little or no systematic effort has been made to ensure the validity of the various BEAS. The validation work at SERI consists of three distinct parts: Comparative Study, Analytical Verification, and Empirical Validation. The procedures have been developed for the first two parts and have been implemented on a sampling of the major BEAS; results have shown major problems in one of the BEAS tested. Furthermore, when one building design was run using several of the BEAS, large differences were found in the predicted annual cooling and heating loads. The empirical validation procedure has been developed, and five two-zone test cells have been constructed for validation; a summer validation run will take place as soon as the data acquisition system is completed. Additionally, a test validation exercise is now in progress using the low-cal house to fine-tune the empirical validation procedure and better define monitoring data requirements.
- Research Organization:
- Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-77CH00178
- OSTI ID:
- 5988796
- Report Number(s):
- SERI/TP-721-1327; CONF-810832-7; ON: DE82001543
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: DOE passive and hybrid solar energy program update, Washington, DC, USA, 9 Aug 1981
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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